IF THE UNSUBSTANTIAL sound bite is the shame of televised election coverage, then information overload is the parallel pitfall on the Internet. After spending one interminable day in October reviewing Web coverage of the presidential campaign, I can verify that the online universe is indeed infinite, and that politics, not pornography, seemed the most prolific theme. Stunned by thousands of news articles, background pieces, surveys, discussion forums, transcripts and commentary, this human brain nearly screamed …showed first 75 words of 741 total…

…showed last 75 words of 741 total…a commentary window pops up to cut through the debate rhetoric. The 2000 presidential election shows that the Internet has the potential to make debates and campaigns much more substantive. It also has the potential to paralyze, confuse and overwhelm. But the game is not really hit-or-miss anymore. As we learn what sticks and what doesn't, we should anticipate a more digestible election spread the next time around. RETURN Main menu Top of page Prev. page